Mountainkeeper Spring 2009 News

(May 2 & 3) Potters of Sullivan County Host Annual Hot Kiln Tour to Benefit Mountainkeeper

This year, for the first time, the Potters of Sullivan County have teamed up with the Catskill Mountainkeeper for the Annual Hot Kiln Tour Weekend on May 2 & 3 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Although many of the potters have studios and gift shops that are open year round, this is your chance to tour the county, visit the potters, see their process and the new work that has inspired them during the quiet months of winter.

The potters all start with the same lump of clay, but their finished products are as varied as they are. Potters participating this year are Duke Pottery, Earthgirl Pottery, Honey Hill Pottery, Cecily Fortescue Ceramics, Sunshine Pottery, Hillside Studios, Claryville Pottery and Catskill Artists Gallery. Directions to studios are on the Sullivan Co. Pottery Trail Map. These free maps can be found in area shops & restaurants, or visit the official website of the Potters of Sullivan County, www.seepotsspun.com. Once you start the tour, each potter will be happy to give you directions to the next potter. (A percentage of all sales for the weekend will be donated to Mountainkeeper).

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DEC announces partnership with Sullivan County to keep the Beaverkill Campground open for the 2009 season

Youngsville, NY - April 24, 2009 - Catskill Mountainkeeper applauds the NYS DEC's decision to partner with Sullivan County to keep the Beaverkill Campground open during these tough budgetary times.

We would like to thank Commissioner Pete Grannis and Region Three Director Willie Janeway for their efforts on this important issue. Catskill Mountainkeeper organized a campaign to help keep the Beaverkill Campground open including an online petition that received more than 600 signatures in partnership with Friends of the Beaverkill, Roscoe Chamber of Commerce, Livingston Manor Chamber of Commerce and the Sullivan County Visitors Association.

"This is how government should work" said Ramsay Adams, Executive Director of Catskill Mountainkeeper. "Community leaders organized a campaign; the County and State heard the call and worked hard to find a solution."

Catskill Mountainkeeper would also like to thank Senator John Bonacic, Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther, Legislators Elwin Wood and Jonathan Rouis along with the rest of the County Legislators and Sullivan County Manager David Fanslau.

622 people have signed the petition as of Monday April 27, 2009
View the signatures here

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Mountainkeeper to Give Talk on Gas Drilling at Cooperstown Village Library

The Friends of the Village Library of Cooperstown announces the April Adult Lecture Series for Thursday, April 30th at 7pm in the Cooperstown Village Meeting Room, just below the village library on Main Street. Ramsay Adams and Wes Gillingham from the Catskill Mountainkeeper organization will present an informative program on gas drilling. This educational lecture will include a general overview of gas drilling, hydraulic fracturing and regulatory issues.

If you have any questions, please contact Lisa Lippitt at 607-547-8154.

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(April 15, 2009) Mountainkeeper featured in Earth Island Journal story:

The Battle Over New York's Marcellus Shale

“One thing that’s happened,” says Wes Gillingham, Program Director of Catskill Mountain Keeper, “is that this whole issue has awakened people to the complexity of hydro fracking and the whole issue of regulatory oversight and whether it’s adequate or not. And to the basic question of whether it can be done safely at all.” Read the entire story by Adam Federman, Contributing Writer, Earth Island Journal here

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Teens trek through Westchester on 150-mile environmental hike

Teens trek through Westchester on 150-mile environmental hike
The Journal News / Lohud.com, NY - Jul 27, 2007

Teens trek through Westchester on 150-mile environmental hike
By MARC EPSTEIN
THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: July 28, 2007)

YONKERS - Twelve teenagers tracing the route of New York City's drinking water got a guided walk along the Croton Aqueduct yesterday on the next to last day of a 150-mile hike.

The trip marks the 10-year anniversary of an agreement between upstate communities and New York City to protect the source of the drinking water, which travels more than 100 miles to serve 9 million people in New York City and its suburbs.

Bob Walters, former director of the Beczak Environmental Center in Yonkers, led the teens from Brooklyn and upstate Sidney on the Yonkers leg of their journey.

"It's great to have this gang visit on their journey to the city," Walters said.

The three-week trek, which also included about 50 miles of rowing, started July 7 in the Catskill Mountains and ends today at Central Park in Manhattan. The group camped outside Beczak on Thursday night before continuing its journey yesterday. The hikers stayed in Ossining earlier in the week.

The hike is run by Catskill Mountainkeepers, among other environmental organizations.

"Water is going to be an issue of the future," said Wes Gillingham, 47, of Livingston Manor, N.Y., who is leading the trip to help educate the 15- to 18-year-olds on New York City's water source. "I would like to see this happen every year."

"It's one of the core things that we need to do," Rebecca Miner said of educating people about the water supply. The 17-year-old heard about the trip from her chemistry teacher at Sidney High School.

Gabe Torres, 18, of Brooklyn said he went on the hike because people are wasting water. "In the city, a lot of people abuse it or don't use it for the right reasons. It seemed like something I should do," he said.

Reach Marc Epstein at mepstein@lohud.com or 914-694-5077.